Welding Technology Patent Dispute Settled

Jones Walker LLP, on behalf of its client, SafeZone Safety Systems, LLC, has made the following announcement.

SafeZone Safety Systems, LLC and Alford Safety Services, Inc. have announced a resolution of their patent infringement lawsuit pending in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The lawsuit involved issues related to SafeZone's use of safe welding enclosure systems, which are occasionally referred to by others in the industry as "welding (or "hot work") habitats," "pressurized welding enclosures" or "positive pressure welding enclosures."

Under the terms of the settlement, SafeZone can continue using certain safe welding enclosure systems without making any payments to Alford and can use those certain systems without worry that SafeZone or its customers will be sued for infringement of Alford's patents.

SafeZone acknowledged that Alford's U.S. Pat. No. 6,783,054 is valid and enforceable in view of the prior art.

Additionally, under the terms of the settlement SafeZone has the option to operate under a royalty bearing license to Alford's patents should the need ever arise.

Both companies have agreed to keep certain details of the settlement confidential.